Fast Rising Hannah Ellis Has The Country Song Of The Summer In "Wine Country"

No doubt about it, rising Country Artist Hannah Ellis is having a great year so far. The tastemakers at CMT have named her a 2023 “Listen Up” artist and Rolling Stone Country has tagged her as an “Artist to Watch” for good reasons: She has the pipes, the looks, the charisma and the talent to stand out in the highly competitive environment of Nashville. We submit Exhibit A – her fun new single “Wine Country”, available to stream everywhere now. Ellis has been making an impact with “Wine Country” at the notoriously tough-to-penetrate Country Radio format: It was most added right out of the gate. And the song is all over key playlists at Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

One of the first things that drew us to Hannah is her boundless positive energy, and the pure joy she brings to her performances. It’s been said that she is “bringing boujee to the backroads” – we just call it damn good stage craft. She is quickly becoming a must-see live performer as evidenced at her recent CMA Festival performance on the prestigious Chevy Vibes stage. Fans formed an impromptu flash-mob to dance along while she was singing “Wine Country”. (Watch here).

Since Ellis debuted the song at the Live In The Vineyard Goes Country event this spring, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter has steadily gained momentum. She wowed the assembled (and often jaded) Music industry folks in attendance with her authenticity, and proved the adage true: You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. The song references her down-home Kentucky roots of drinking her beloved Cabernet from a Solo Cup, while also paying homage to her big city indulgence of stilettos from Lucchese on the cleverly penned track she wrote with Clint Lagerberg and her husband, Nick Wayne. That’s another thing about her that impressed us – her ability to live in both worlds: her small-town country foundation and her (now) metropolitan lifestyle. Hannah says the song is “based on the idea that life is not all about this OR that. It’s more about this AND that. I’m boujee AND I’m backroads. You don’t have to choose one lane. Drive ‘em all!” Amen, youngblood.

The video for “Wine Country” was filmed by Tony Gates at various locations in Napa Valley, CA. including the Welcome To Napa Valley Sign, the Napa Valley Wine Train and the rustic Chappellet Winery in Helena, California – to emphasize country in the phrase wine country. Ellis says “We really had fun with the concept for this video. We leaned into the ‘Real Housewives’ type of energy while keeping it country. I really loved the videos from the 90’s that had a different story and a light-hearted theme. It brings out the personality in this song.”

In the video, Ellis can be seen singing about Ford trucks as she frolics in winery fields – wearing the vineyard owner's socks. “One of my favorite memories from the video shoot was when we were shooting the brunch scene up on Pritchard Hill at the winery,” she says. “I was wearing these stiletto heels that have sharp points, and I couldn’t walk down the gravel path to the table. Then I tried barefooted, and the rocks were too sharp. So Blakesley Chappellet, one of the vineyard owners, gave me the socks off her feet so I could walk across the gravel. It was a sweet moment.”

As her profile continues to grow, Hannah has announced new tour dates to support “Wine Country”. Plans are for her to tour for the rest of this year into 2024.

Hannah Ellis – Tour Dates:

Tuesday, 8/8 – Chase Field/Arizona DiamondBacks Game – Phoenix, AZ

Thursday, 8/17 – KC Live! – Kansas City, MO (w/Dylan Scott)

Friday, 8/18 – Amphitheater at Los Colonias Park – Grand Junction, CO (w/Billy Currington)

Saturday, 8/19 – Ford Wyoming Center – Casper, Wyoming (w/Billy Currington)

Thursday, 9/7 – Carol’s Pub – Chicago, IL

Friday, 9/8 – Odawa Casino – Petosky, MI

Saturday, 9/9 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

Friday, 9/22 – The Ledge Amphitheater – Waite Park (St. Cloud), MN (w/Billy Currington)

Saturday, 9/23 – Vetter Stone Amphitheater – Mankato, MN (w/Billy Currington)

Friday, Oct. 6th – Variety Play House – Atlanta, GA (w/Ashley McBryde)

Thursday, 10/12 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI (w/Carly Pearce)

Friday, 10/13 – Stifel Theater – St. Louis, MO (w/Carly Pearce)

The future looks amazingly bright for this rising star, and we are anxious to see where she goes from here. Raise a glass of your favorite vintage and throw your pinkies up as a toast to Hannah Ellis – this looks like its going to be a fun ride!

Follow Hannah Ellis online: Official Website // Facebook // Instagram // Spotify // Youtube // X (formerly Twitter) // Tik Tok // Bands In Town